Shuster, DelGrosso race too close to call
With about half the precincts reporting late Tuesday night, newcomer Michael DelGrosso was locked in a race too close to call with incumbent U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster for the Republican nomination in the 9th Congressional District. According to unofficial results, DelGrosso held a slim lead (about 1,000 votes) with about half the precincts reporting.
With low turnout reported across the state, only 27 percent in Fayette County, area voters in the vast district, which represents about 650,000 people, took to the polls to nominate a Republican candidate for the November general election.
According to unofficial results, with 90 percent of the precincts reporting, Shuster received 968 votes in Fayette County, while DelGrosso received 361. Unofficial results districtwide showed Shuster with 28,489 votes to DelGrosso’s 28,200, with 404 of the 508 precincts (80 percent) reporting in the 15 counties the district encompasses.
Paul Politis, running unopposed on the Democratic ticket, garnered 1,231 votes in Fayette, with 90 percent of the county reporting, according to unofficial results.
After casting his vote in Frankstown Township with his wife early Tuesday, Shuster and his campaign staff hunkered down to watch returns through the night at the Ramada Inn in Altoona.
DelGrosso cast his ballot with his wife at the Tipton Fire Hall and then spent the evening with supporters and campaign staff at DelGrosso Amusement Park to wait for election results.
DelGrosso earned a bachelor of science in economics from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master’s of business administration from the University of Michigan Business School.
DelGrosso, who worked in the automotive industry in Michigan as a program manager in the 1990s and as a corporate strategy consultant for large companies in Chicago, ran on a door-to-door campaign strategy that saw him visit more than 10,000 district homes.
Shuster grew up in Bedford and lives there now, after a brief hiatus, with his wife, 15-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son. He owned and operated a small business for 12 years and grew up in and around the political scene while his father served in public office for more than 30 years.
He is a member of the Armed Services Committee and is assistant majority whip in the House.
Shuster received a bachelor of arts in political science and history from Dickinson College in Carlisle and a master’s of business administration from American University in Washington, D.C.
DelGrosso, who issued an economic revitalization plan during the campaign, said if elected he would focus on building a new foundation for business growth through the formation of a districtwide economic development council. He said he also would target industries that are growing, focus on entrepreneurial development and prepare the work force through a lifelong-learning initiative that would focus on training workers for growing job markets.
DelGrosso also supported the Bush administration’s stance in Iraq as well as overhauling health care and creating private funds accounts for social security.
Shuster, a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said the key to economic success in the district is simply good transportation and established infrastructure.
Additionally, he said he supports cutting taxes and supported putting a portion, 3 percent, of incoming Social Security funds into a private account for the individual, preferably in a government-certified mutual account.
The congressman formed a task force and is working to develop associated health plans that will create competition and drive down costs.
Shuster also supports the Bush administration’s position on the war in Iraq.